


Yellow

by HeyItsJoeKeerysHair



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Basically an AU where Civil War was resolved and everyone lives in the tower, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky is a literal cinnamon roll, Bucky needs a hug, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, HYDRA sucks, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam is a savage friend, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-04-21 01:22:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14273871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyItsJoeKeerysHair/pseuds/HeyItsJoeKeerysHair
Summary: 26 year-old Tessa Hallbrook has spent her whole life in New York City without ever encountering the Avengers. Until one day, that all changes. After getting caught up with New York's finest heroes, they learn a secret Tess has been hiding from everyone. Left with nowhere else to go, Tess turns to the Avengers. She starts to think she finally found a family in the group of fellow misfits until a certain ex-assassin starts to become more than that.





	1. Beginnings

_ **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of their characters, but if I did Bucky would have 5 stand alone movies by now...** _

Tessa's POV

Tessa stepped outside of the small coffee joint, latte in hand, and was greeted by a pleasant chill in the air. Enjoying the nice autumn afternoon, she took off down the street, listening to the bustle of downtown Brooklyn. It was her afternoon off, and Tessa was planning a lovely evening of takeout and a date with her special friend, Netflix.

Safe to say, things did not go as planned. But then again, did they ever?

As she was rounding the corner, Tessa tripped on a gap in the sidewalk and stumbled, effectively managing to dump her latte all over herself.

"Perfect. Great going, Tess" she mumbled incoherently.

Focusing on the coffee currently running down her forearm, Tessa wasn't watching where she was going. Looking up, she was met face to face with a disk-shaped red, white, and blue blur. Instinctively ducking, the shield flew right past her and into the face of an armed man directly behind her. _Is that a gun? What the heck did I just walk in to?_

She turned her attention back to her right.

_ No way. Captain. Freaking. America? _

She didn't have too much time to ponder this; however, as it dawned on her. She was in the middle of a battle with the Avengers. Taking cover behind the nearest car, Tessa continued to observe the scene unraveling before her. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. There were men dressed in black with heavy guns everywhere. The Avengers Tessa managed to locate included Captain America (obviously), Iron Man flying above, shooting some sort of beams at the men in black, a guy dressed like a bird, and lastly, some guy with a bow and arrow. Just as she laid eyes on the last one, currently only about 20 feet away from her, she saw him collapse to the ground.

Looking around, she noticed all of the other Avengers preoccupied. It took her a moment to work up the nerve before Tessa effectively yelled "Screw it" and raced towards the fallen man with the bow and arrows.

Nearing him, she realized that the gunshot had to have come from somewhere, and this was, in fact, _really stupid._ Scanning the rooftops, Tessa located a man clad in black with a sniper. She felt her heart begin to beat erratically in her chest as she noticed the sniper was now aiming at _her_.

Suddenly, the red white and blue blur was back, heading straight towards the sniper on the roof. The shield connected with him, sending the sniper plummeting off the roof onto the street.

Tessa breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to the bow and arrow dude on the ground.

As soon as she reached him, she realized this wasn't good at all. There was blood pooling from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Tessa's stomach turned at the sight, and she had to swallow the urge to throw up right there. Skidding to a kneeling stop beside him, Tessa noticed how still he was and instinctively held her fingers to his neck. Luckily, his pulse was there. Slightly abnormal, but there nonetheless. _The impact must have knocked him down, and he must have hit his head on the way down._

Tessa never intended on using her abilities out in public, and she had never tried them on something as big as a gunshot wound, but she knew this man needed help now. With a grunt, Tessa managed to turn the man over far enough to make sure the bullet had already come out the other side. Then, laying him back flat, held her hands directly over his shoulder wound. Tessa felt the power draining out of her and into the man that lay before her. His shoulder began to glow a bright yellow and Tessa could tell the bleeding was already slowing. He stirred in response, and she smiled at herself knowing it was working.

This boost of encouragement was all she needed to keep concentrating. Her head started pulsing in pain, and she wanted to reach up to grab it, but the groan that escaped the man's lips stopped her. Tessa felt herself getting weaker and weaker by the moment and didn't know how much longer she could keep this up for. The searing pain in her head got stronger as her vision started to swim, black dots dancing before her eyes to keep her company.

"Hey, get off him!" a voice roared behind her.

Then all at once Tessa couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed into a heap, grasping weakly at her head, beside the man who was now stirring.

Tessa heard a faint, "Clint! are you okay?" before all the noise started to fade together.

She welcomed the darkness that was ready to consume her, only seeking an escape from the pulsing in her head that wouldn't stop. Tears made their way down her cheeks as she curled tighter into herself.

Right before slipping into unconsciousness, Tessa felt a firm arm slip under her legs and another beneath her lower back. She was in too much pain to care and leaned into the warm touch before falling into peaceful oblivion.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

_ Steve's POV _

Steve saw Clint go down but was currently occupied with two Hydra agents, trying to finish off what was left of them. He knew they would come for Bucky, but he didn't know it would be this soon. He would do anything to protect his best friend.

Steve saw a small opening and took it, launching his shield at the sniper who had shot Clint.

Throwing a few more punches to dismantle the last hydra agent in front of him, he turned his attention back to Clint. Except now, next to him, there was a girl kneeling over him. It looked like her hands were on his shoulder wound, keeping pressure. Natasha, however, must have confused this gesture as an act of aggression as her voice came booming from behind him. "Hey, get off him!" the redhead screamed, still fighting off a couple Hydra agents.

As he reached Clint, Steve took a brief moment to observe the girl. She had dark hair framing her frail frame and a contrastingly pale complexion. The girl suddenly yelled in pain and crumpled to the ground, gripping her head. Steve noticed her shoulders were visibly shaking, and she clearly looked to be in pain. "Clint! are you okay?" Steve called, as Clint pushed himself into a sitting position with a grunt.

"Yeah I'm—" Clint looked confusingly at his shoulder. What was once a bloody mess was now a freshly scarred wound. Only the blood from the previously bleeding bullet wound saturated his black shirt. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I'm fine."

Steve's gaze shifted back to the small shaking girl, her hands tangled in her dark locks.

Did she just _heal_ him?

"Guys, we need to get out of here now" came Tony's voice over the com.

Steve didn't waste another minute. He reached down and slid his arms under the girl, hoisting her up into his arms. She was so light it shocked him for a moment. A small whimper escaped her lips as she nuzzled into his chest, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Whatever caused her to enter this state had saved Clint's life. That was for sure.

Steve contemplated taking her to the hospital but quickly thought better of it. If he was right and she really did have special abilities, the hospital would only put her in danger.

Clint matched his pace as Steve made his decision and set off towards the jet, carrying the girl with him.

 

 

_ **A/N Hey guys! Thanks for reading! This is my first Avengers fanfiction, so criticism and tips are 100% welcome. I lowkey wrote this at like 2am so I apologize in advance.** _


	2. Secrets

_ **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of their characters, but if I did I would steal Chris Pine from DC and force him into the Chris cult of Marvel.** _

 

_ Tessa's Pov _

Everything felt heavy and clouded as Tessa tried to will her eyes open. The sterile scent of antiseptic flooded her senses, and there was a slow, persistent beeping noise somewhere in the room. Tessa's eyes wouldn't comply, and a slight panic rose in her chest. The steady beeping suddenly began to beep more erratically, only frightening Tessa more.

With new found determination, Tessa finally pulled her eyes open, blinking away the drowsiness that still clung to her senses. She took a moment to take in her surroundings. It appeared to be a small hospital room, simply with more monitors than she had ever seen.

Tessa's gaze suddenly locked on a figure sitting in the corner of the room, in a small chair. He appeared to be observing her, and, when he noticed she was aware, he gently rose. Tessa recognized him to be the one and only Captain America.

"Where am I?" Tessa's voice came out in a croak, rough from disuse.

Mr. patriotic handed her a glass of water on the nearby table, and she gave a small, grateful smile. The cool liquid felt amazing on her throat, grounding her further.

After a moment of observing her, the Captain finally spoke.

"You're in the Avengers tower; the med-bay to be exact."

Tessa's eyebrows drew together in confusion as she digested the situation.

"How long have I been here?"

"You've been asleep for two days," Cap answered turning his glance to the ceiling. "J.A.R.V.I.S, please let the rest of the team know she's awake."

Tessa was startled as an automated British "Right away, sir," sounded through the speakers.

Cap turned his attention back to her with an amused look. "Can you tell me your name?" he asked.

"Tessa, Tess Hallbrook."

"Well, it's great to finally meet the mystery girl, Tess. I'm Steve." He offered his hand with a small grin, and Tessa accepted, his grip firm and warm.

"If you don't mind my asking, what am I doing here?" The last thing Tessa remembered was rushing over to bow and arrow dude and using her powers. _Oh dang._ The thought suddenly occurred to her. _My powers._

Their conversation was interrupted by a man, no other than Tony Stark, strutting into the room. Closely behind him followed a man who looked like a doctor, the avenger who was normally dressed up like a bird, ( _Eagleman? Nah that's not right..._ ) and the very bow and arrow dude she had passed out trying to save. With the look of him, she had succeeded. His shoulder looked completely healed.

"You, beautiful, are here because we want to know how Clint over here had a bleeding bullet wound one moment, and a totally healed shoulder the next."

_ Ah, so Clint is his name. _

Tessa gulped, trying to think of an excuse, and nervously scanned the awaiting faces. "I um.. That wasn't— I mean...whaaaat?" She awkwardly drew out that last word.

This elicited a chuckle from bird man ( _Red Robin? Nope, that's still not it_ ).

"You can drop the act; we know about your abilities." Tony countered.

"How—"

The man who looked like a doctor timidly stepped forward giving a slight wave.

Tessa's eyes went wide as she registered what he was saying. _How could I have been so stupid?_ She silently reprimanded herself.

"Relax kid, your secret's safe with us. We just wanna know how you did it" Steve placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, noticing her uneasiness.

Tessa took a deep breath and did her best to explain "Uh well, I have this thing where if I touch someone and concentrate hard enough I can transfer energy that heals wounds. I've never tried it with something as big as a gunshot wound before; I guess that explains all of this." Tessa gestured vaguely. "I'm not exactly sure how it works, but whenever I use my 'powers,' I tend to get really lightheaded or dizzy."

"When did these powers start?" questioned the doctor, while checking over the monitors.

"I'm not exactly sure. I figured it out about two years ago when my neighbors' daughter wrecked on her bike. She had a nasty scrape on her forearm, and when I helped her up, I noticed a tingly feeling, and a yellow glow, then the scrape on her arm healed right over. I've been too scared to use it much since then. A few minor injuries here and there. The odd thing is, I don't heal as quickly as I can heal others. If I get hurt, it maybe cuts the healing time in half, but it's never instant" Tessa shrugged. She didn't see the point in lying to them and thought she might as well tell the truth.

The doctor nodded his head in understanding and offered his hand "I'm doctor Banner by the way."

"Tess. It's nice to meet you" Tessa smiled back.

Apparently, everyone else noticed the awkward need for introductions and began introducing themselves.

Clint extended his hand as well. "Clint," he said with a warm smile. "Thanks for um" he gestured to his newly healed shoulder.

"No problem," Tessa replied with a small smile.

Bird man simply gave a nod, "Sam."

Tessa gave him a mock head nod back, causing him to smirk.

Tony then cleared his throat. "And I'm—"

"Tony Stark. Billionaire, Playboy, philanthropist." Tessa finished.

Tony placed a hand over his heart in pretend hurt, but Sam simply clapped him on the shoulder. "She's got a point there, man."

Tessa gave a small laugh and looked back over to doctor Banner who had resumed checking the monitors. The monitors that were, in fact, hooked up to her.

"Any idea as to when I can get out of here?" Tessa questioned to no one in particular. It was doctor Banner who replied.

"You were out for two days, and your vitals are still not quite normal. I would feel better if you wouldn't mind sticking around for a day or two. Just so I can ensure you're stable."

Tessa glanced up at Steve who seemed to be the friendliest of the five, and he gave an encouraging nod.

"Um, I guess that's alright."

"Is there anyone you want to contact? Any family that needs to know where you're at?" Steve questioned.

Tessa's face fell a bit as she shook her head, but she tried to hide it "Nah I'm all good. There's no one." She did her best to offer a reassuring smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

The bout of awkward silence that followed indicated she didn't hide it as well as she thought; however, Tony finally cleared his throat and spoke up.

"If you'd like, there's an extra bedroom around the compound you can stay in. It might be a little more comfortable than the med-bay."

Tessa gave him a tired yawn and nodded. "That would be great, thank you."

Clint noticed her sudden burst of tiredness, even though she just woke up from two days of unconsciousness. "When can she get out of here, Bruce?" he questioned.

Doctor Banner said he had one more quick test to run then she should be good to go. At this, most of them gave a polite wave and started to exit the infirmary. Soon, Tessa was left with just Steve and doctor Banner.

Twenty minutes later, Tessa was done with the tests, unconnected from all the medical equipment and following Steve down the hallway. They stopped at the elevator and rode it up to the top floor before getting off. Steve led Tessa down another long hallway lined with doors and stopped at the last one to the right.

"This is you. I'll get Natasha to bring you a change of clothes if you'd like, and then you can rest for a while before dinner. If you need anything, Sam is right next to you, across the hall is my friend Bucky, I don't believe you've met him yet, and I'm right next to him." Steve explained while opening the door.

Tessa looked down at her clothes and noticed that she was still wearing the same clothes she was wearing two days ago, stained with traces of dried blood.

"That change of clothes would be great. Thanks for everything, Steve" She gave him a tired smile, and he nodded in response.

Shutting the door behind her, Tessa observed the room. It was plenty big with a large bed, dresser, and flatscreen. Off to the right was a door that led to a full private bathroom.

Tessa thought back over the events of the past couple days and breathed a sigh of relief as she leaned back against the door. She couldn't believe she was _here_ , in the Avengers tower. Tessa wasn't exactly sure what the next day or two would hold, but she decided that first things first, a shower was in order.

There was a light rap on the door, and when Tessa opened it, there was a small pile of clothes sitting on the ground. She looked down the hall, but it's owner _Natasha?_ was already gone. Tessa merely shrugged, scooping up the clothes and heading into the bathroom to start the water.

She scrubbed at her bloodstained hands trying to get the red tint off of her, but it was to no avail. Tessa's exhaustion and the reality of the situation sent in, and she felt herself start to cry. _Clint had almost died_. She could still feel the warm blood on her hands and the weak pulse as she knelt in front of him trying to stem the bleeding. She remembered the awful pain that took over her whole body, consuming her. She remembered that they now knew about her powers, these total strangers. Tessa had never told _anyone_ about her powers before out of fear, and now an entire team of superheroes knew.

Tessa inhaled deeply, letting the shower water run over her face in an attempt to ground herself. After a moment, the tears had stopped, and she carefully stepped out of the shower and changed into the new clothes. It was a simple pair of gray sweatpants and a navy shirt that fit comfortably loose. She threw her dripping hair up in a bun and wandered over to the bed.

As soon as Tessa's head hit the pillow, she realized how utterly exhausted she was and allowed herself to slip off to sleep

 

_ **A/N Woah guys look at that, another chapter. *casually finger guns* Suggestions always welcome! Thanks for reading  -3am and exhausted** _


	3. Star Wars

_ **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of their characters, but if I did I would give Tony a terrible fear of spiders hence the real reason he's scared of Natasha.** _

_ Tessa's Pov _

A light knock on the door startled Tessa from her sleep.

"One sec" she called, her voice still groggy from sleep as she lifted herself from the bed. Tessa ran a quick hand through her hair, smoothing it out as it had fallen from its hold during sleep. She wandered over to the door and opened it to reveal Steve.

"Hey Tess," he greeted, "dinner is just about ready if you want to come into the kitchen. Its straight down the hall to your left; you can't miss it."

"Sounds great, I'll be out in a moment" Tessa smiled, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Steve smiled back and retreated from the doorway, heading back down the hallway.

After a couple minutes of making herself look at least semi-presentable, Tessa opened her bedroom door and began to wander down the hallway, taking in all the doors that lined the walls.

_ Dang, this place is huge. I bet Tony Stark is so rich he could fit my entire apartment building in here 20 times over. _

Tess took a left as Steve instructed, pushing through a heavy door; however, Steve neglected to mention that there was an immediate step down upon entrance to the kitchen. Tessa was too busy taking in the sight of a bunch of superheroes chatting it up casually to notice the change in altitude and stumbled straight into a face-plant. At least she thought it was going to be a face-plant. Tessa's eyes were squeezed shut with her arms out in from of her, in an effort to break the fall, but rather than meeting her old friend, the floor, She was met by a pair of arms.

_ What the— _

Tessa's eyes flew open, and she craned her neck to the side to be met by no other than bird dude.

"Falling for me already, are you?" Sam quipped with a playful smirk. He guided her back into a standing position as she regained her balance.

Tessa's face immediately blushed red as she worked to straighten herself out. "You wish, Bald Eagle."

Sam gave a look of mock offense, "It's Flacon."

"Mhm sure, whatever you say," Tessa smirked back at him, trying desperately to make this situation less awkward, as she could already feel a couple of eyes on her.

Sam only scoffed but turned back to her with a glass of orange juice nonetheless.

She gave him a questioning eyebrow, and Sam easily compensated "breakfast for dinner."

Tessa's gaze was redirected over his shoulder where the group of superheroes had already started on the pancakes and bacon.

She gladly accepted the beverage, and smiles at Sam, "thanks."

He responded with a nod and firm hand to the shoulder as he directed her towards the table. Tess looked around the room, observing the various faces and settled on the seat next to Clint. Her other side was filled by Sam a moment later after he brought the last batch of pancakes over. Tessa noticed a certain redhead she hadn't met before. _Natasha, I presume?_ as well as a man with dark, shoulder-length hair sitting quietly next to Steve. _Probably Bucky._ He didn't look like the friendly type, but that just made Tessa want to try even harder. She studied him for a moment. His shoulders were broad like Steve's; however, his posture was hunched, and he barely took his gaze from the plate in front of him. He made small talk with Steve, but it was always in a whisper that Tess couldn't detect.

Of course, just her luck, as Tessa was watching the pair, Bucky's eyes flicked up and met her gaze for a brief moment. Tessa quickly looked away, taking a sudden interest in the half-empty glass of orange juice in front of her.

_ Crap crap crap. He's gonna think I'm a creep. Or a stalker. Or both. Great going, Tess. _

The rest of dinner carried on uneventfully as Tessa avoided looking towards Bucky and focused more on making small talk with Sam and Clint. Natasha introduced herself but otherwise busied herself in a conversation with doctor Banner and Tony Stark. Tessa decided she liked Sam and Clint the best, as they joked frequently and asked a lot of questions in an attempt to make her feel more at ease.

"How are you feeling?" Clint asked a little hesitantly.

Tessa could tell he still felt guilty for what happened, although he had no reason to. She gave him a reassuring smile "A whole lot better. It was my fault really. I guess I just didn't realize exactly how far I can push my powers, but I feel totally fine now."

This seemed to put Clint at ease as he smiled back and nodded understandingly. "Who knows, maybe Bruce can help you learn how to control your ability and it's side effects easier."

A hint of hope welled up in Tessa's chest as she took in his words. Her face lit up. "Really? You think he could teach me to do that? Control it better I mean."

"I think it's definitely worth giving it a shot. You'll be around for a few more days, right? Why not ask him tomorrow?"

Tessa nodded eagerly as she thought of the possibility. _Maybe I can finally use my powers to help someone. I'm obviously no superhero, but maybe with the right amount of practice, I can help a couple people._

As dinner came to a close, people began to filter out of the kitchen. Doctor Banner and Tony were headed to the lab to work on something technical which Tessa found extremely cool because They have a freaking lab. Clint and Natasha also left and were headed off to the gym to spar or something of the superhero fighting sort. This left Tessa with what she determined to be 'the perfect opportunity to introduce herself to Steve's intimidating friend.'

Once she saw Bucky stand up from the table, Tessa excused herself from her heated conversation with Sam. In other words, debating whether or not the Kylo Ren is an actual villain or just misunderstood. Tessa firmly holds to the latter and was quite convinced she was winning.

Making her way over to Bucky, Tessa approached him with a small smile.

"Hey, I'm Tess. You must be Bucky?" Tessa asked, hand extended.

Bucky merely glared at her before turning around and walking off.

"Yeah okay never mind. Not a people person, got it." She mumbled to herself

Sam leaned over her shoulder with a chuckle and whispered "Don't worry it's not just you. I'm pretty sure he hates everyone."

Tessa blushed, realizing someone saw her exchange with Bucky but laughed uncomfortably anyway. "Dang it. First day of being conscious, and I'm already screwing things up."

"That seems to be your special skill, yes," remarked Sam.

Tess reached out and smacked him on the shoulder "Jerk."

"Loser."

Tess rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. She liked Sam. He was like that super annoying brother she never had.

Steve shot her an apologetic look before going after his friend.

_ Well, that went well. _

Sam turned to face her again. "If you help me clean up real quick then we can go kill the rest of this evening with a Star Wars marathon."

"Episodes IV, V, and VI follow by I, II, and III?" Tessa asked skeptically.

"Is there any other way to watch?"

Tessa's smile widened "You've got yourself a deal."

Sam turned back towards the table and began gathering dishes "Kylo Ren is still an awful person though"

Tess glanced around the room for the nearest object she could throw at him and located a bowl full of lemons on the counter to her left.

_ Perfect _

"Hey, are you gonna help me with— ouch!" Sam whipped around only for Tess to give a face of mock innocence before starting on the dishes.

Sam's pretend annoyance could only last for song long before he broke down laughing, and Tessa joined. She couldn't deny that it felt good to let go a bit and she felt a strange sense of ease being surrounded by superheroes.

"Don't insult Kylo."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

They were halfway through The Empire Strikes Back with Sam sitting on the couch to her right and Steve in the armchair across the room, (Tessa had promptly dragged him in there after being informed that he had, in fact, *gasp* never seen Star Wars) when Tony swaggered into the common room.

"Move over; I love this one." Tony managed to squeeze himself to the left of Tessa leaving her smushed between the two superheroes.

"You know, for a group of crime-fighting heroes you guys are big nerds" Tess observed.

Sam only chuckled as he gestured to Steve who's eyes were glued to the television in intense concentration. "You have no idea."

In the end, the rest of the group ended up all crammed into the common room as well. People sprawled out on the adjacent couch and floor. Apparently, they were all huge Star Wars fans. Even Bucky managed to show up, although he sat on the complete opposite side of the room as far away from Tess as possible. A couple of times she glanced over at him to see him studying her intently but didn't say anything for fear of repeating the events of earlier that evening.

Near the beginning of The Phantom Menace, Tessa's eyes began to feel heavy, and Sam noticed her slowly falling towards his shoulder. He laughed softly and elbowed her gently.

"Maybe you should turn in for the night? You look beat."

Tessa responded with a yawn and slowly straightened herself out, standing up. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna head that direction. Night, Sparrow guy."

Sam shot her a warning glance "It's. Falcon."

Tessa gave him a teasing smile complete with an eye roll and gave a quick look around the room, as she headed for the door back to the hall her bedroom was located in. Natasha had already dropped off to sleep on Clint's shoulder, and Bruce was in the corner preoccupied with a book. Meanwhile, Steve was still glued to the screen in anticipation of what was going to happen next. Bucky, however, had his gaze fixed on her and she reached the door. This was a little unnerving, but she smiled at him nonetheless. _Gotta start somewhere. Right?_

"Goodnight guys. Thank you for letting me stay here for a couple days."

Everyone glanced in her direction for a moment and gave her a parting smile or goodnight. Heading down the hall, someone caught her by her elbow. Tessa turned around, momentarily startled until she saw is was only Steve. He gave her an apologetic smile for startling her. "Hey, sorry. I just wanted to ask if you needed anything before you went to bed."

"I'm good, thanks. You guys have done more than enough already."

Steve smiled politely back at her "Alright. Well, just let me know; you know where to find me. Goodnight, Tess."

Tessa's heart warmed at his words. _Dang, apparently chivalry isn't dead?_  "Thanks, Steve. Goodnight." She smiled back and opened her door, disappearing inside.

Tess sunk down into her bead and let out a content sigh. Even after only knowing these people for a short time, she already felt at ease and happy. However, she was quick to reprimand herself when she remembered why she was here. _Don't go getting attached now. You're only here for another day or two at the most and then you're gone. The Avengers are busy enough saving people already; they don't need a charity case._

Tessa drifted off to sleep with the resolve of getting as much info on her powers as possible and then leaving. After all, she had a boring life to get back to, and her one-bedroom apartment in Queens was calling her. Maybe she would get a cat. That would definitely make things less lonely. 

 

_ **A/N Heyooooo Bucky is finally in a chapter, YAY. I realize He sounds like a total jerk and low-key a creep, but I promise it will get better. He's actually just a cinnamon roll disguised as an assassin. Anywayyyyyy, this chapter was mainly filler and fluff.... Thanks for reading! Suggestions or corrections always welcome <3** _


	4. Offers

 

**_ Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of their characters, but if I did Stan Lee would have a solo movie in which he’s the star and each of the Avengers play a cameo role. _ **

_Tessa’s Pov_

The next morning proved to be fairly uneventful. Tessa ate breakfast with the group, talking mainly with Sam and Steve. Bucky was a little less hostile and even answered a couple of her questions. Granted, they were only one-word answers, but she was taking whatever she could get. In other words, he answered “no” when she asked if he wanted toast. It’s the small victories. The longer she studied him, Tessa couldn’t help but see Bucky looked _lonely._ A feeling she recognized in herself a bit too frequently. And so she decided, even if Bucky kept shoving her off, she was going to befriend him eventually. Tess knew his past as the winter soldier, but, as far as she was concerned, that was in his _past._ She firmly believed that everyone deserved a second chance, regardless of how tainted their background may be.

Tessa was wandering back through unfamiliar halls on her way to the lab if she could just _find_ it now. _Dang it, Tony and his ginormous building._

Rounding the corner to her right, Tessa ran smack into a brick wall. Or at least that’s what she _thought_ it was. Something warm grabbed her left forearm, while something cold grabbed her right, steading Tess on her feet. Looking up, she was met with the piercing blue orbs of Bucky.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I was looking for the lab then I couldn’t find it, and so I was just walking down random halls, and I rounded the corner without watching where I was—”

Tessa’s rambling was cut short by *gasp* a chuckle. 

_Was_ **_the_ ** _winter soldier chuckling?_

Bucky’s eyes held a hint of amusement as he spoke his first full sentence “Did you say you were headed to the lab?”

Tessa only nodded in return, too dumbstruck by his change in demeanor to compose an audible sentence.

“Would you like me to show you where it’s at?”

He made brief eye contact before his gaze dropped to the ground between them. 

Tess released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “That would be awesome.”

Without waiting to see if she was following, Bucky took off down the hallway in the same direction he had come from. His gait was quick, and Tessa struggled a bit to keep up. The next minute and a half were spent in silence as Bucky swiftly made his way to what Tess hoped was, in fact, the lab and not certain death. 

They arrived at the lab, and her jaw fell wide with awe. It was covered in equipment and projects Tessa couldn’t even begin to understand and complete with large windows that spanned the lengths of the far wall. It looked cluttered, but Tessa assumed it was more of an organized chaos situation. She turned to tell Bucky thanks only to realize he was already gone. She made a note to do so later. 

Turning back to the lab before her, Tess located Dr. Banner tinkering with something in the far left corner. She was pondering how to get his attention without bothering him when his gaze met hers. 

“Ah, Tessa, come on in. I have your test results.” He gave her a brief smile and gestured to a nearby chair. 

Tess took a seat but couldn’t keep her knees from bouncing and hands from fidgeting. There wasn’t any denying that she was _nervous._

Dr. Banner noticed her uneasiness and placed a comforting on her forearm. “I still don’t understand your abilities completely, but after the blood samples and tests I think I have a pretty good grasp on how they function.”

Tessa let out a small breath and nodded for him to continue. 

“Your cells have a regeneration property that allows you to heal faster than the average human. It appears as if you have the ability to transfer bursts of that property into others. The reason you get so fatigued when using your abilities is because you’re actually allowing your energy to flow out of you and into someone else. Effectively draining you, but, in return, instantly healing the person you’re in contact with.” 

Tessa’s brows furrowed as she tried to process what the doctor was saying. “So you're saying that I’m gonna pass out every time I use my powers? Is there any way I can avoid that?”

Doctor Banner considered a moment before continuing. “My guess is that, currently, you just allow your energy to rapid fire into someone in continuous bursts without really controlling how much energy you’re putting out. If you can practice with your ability more and focus on releasing energy slowly and specifically, I think you could potentially learn to control it better. You’ll still get fatigued, but if you aren’t releasing any unnecessary energy, then the side effects shouldn’t be quite as bad.” 

Tessa nodded in understanding. “So you think with practice I can learn to control my… _powers_?” The word still sounded weird on her tongue. 

“That’s what I’m hoping” Doctor Banner clapped her on the shoulder with a smile before he made his way back over to a workbench and resumed tinkering with a small device. 

Tessa’s voice lowered to a whisper, and she fixed her gaze on the floor tiles as she spoke next. “Is…is there any way I can hurt people with my abilities?” She was a little scared. No, scratch that, _terrified_ of what his response might be and was already regretting asking until Bruce whipped back around to face her, a new expression of sympathy etched into his features. 

“As far as I can tell, no.” 

That one sentence hit her with a wave of relief. That was the main reason she had been so hesitant to use her powers in the past. She saw how destructive powers could be during the battle of New York and she was _terrified_ of being capable of something like that. 

She jumped up out of her seat, with a new found excitement. “Thank you so much, Doctor Banner.” 

He gave her a reassuring smile and nod. “No problem, and, please, call me Bruce.”

Tessa’s heart warmed at this, and she grinned back at him. “Thank you, _Bruce.”_ And with that, she left the lab, thoughts of her abilities occupying her mind. Luckily, Bucky’s help getting to the lab earlier was still fresh in her mind, and she navigated her way back to the common area in no time. 

Sam, Natasha, and Clint were all talking, and when Sam noticed Tess in the doorway, he quickly waved her over. Tessa took a seat next to Sam on the couch, evidently fighting with new found news. 

Clint was the first to notice, “Oh hey, you had your meeting with Bruce today, right? How did that go?”

The excitement that crept onto her face while she explained everything Bruce had told her was evident. 

“That’s awesome, Tess!” Sam slung his arm over her shoulder for a quick side hug, and the others nodded in agreement. Tessa was initially scared of Natasha; however, the more time she spent around her, she realized she wasn’t _that_ terrifying and even made some jokes. 

“I’ve always been kinda scared to use my abilities, not being able to control them very well and all, but I’m really excited to work on getting them under control,” Tessa admitted. 

Clint grinned at her newfound confidence in her abilities. “That’s great to hear, kid.”

She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the nickname, but Clint only chuckled and patted her on the head, adding to the effect.

Wow, she loved these people. 

_Stop it, Tess, you’re leaving soon._

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tessa’s assumptions had proved to be right as Steve approached her later that evening. 

“Hey, Tess,” He greeted with a polite smile. “Bruce told me your test results are in and explained what he found.” 

She nodded in response and gestured for him to continue. 

“As you know, we promised that you only had to stay a day or two until the tests were finished. You seem to be in perfectly healthy condition now so, as promised, you are free to go.” 

Tessa’s gaze was fixed firmly on the ground in front of her. “Thanks for everything, Steve. I really appreciate it.” Her heart sank knowing her time with the Avengers had come to an end; however, as she made eye contact with Steve, she couldn’t help but notice a glint of what appeared to be sympathy in his eyes. 

He hesitated a moment before continuing “Tessa, I think that your abilities could potentially be of great value to our team. I’d like to ask you to stay.” 

Tessa’s eyes widened in shock at what he was saying. 

_The_ Captain America was asking her to join the Avengers? 

She contemplated his offer for a moment and even considered excepting it until reality hit her. 

_There’s absolutely no way I can be of benefit to the Avengers. I’ll only slow them down and be a bother. Steve’s probably just offering because he feels obligated. They definitely do not need someone like me in the way while they’re trying to save the world. Besides, I have a life to get back to. It may be dull and boring, but it’s a life nonetheless. I can’t just drop everything to run off with the Avengers._

A light sigh from Steve drew her out of her thoughts, and she assumed he could see the refusal in her features.

That’s odd, he almost looked _disappointed?_

“Thanks for the offer, but I think it’s best that I get back. My boss is probably going to kill me for taking off four unannounced days already.” Tessa forced out a small chuckle, and Steve gave her a sad smile in return. 

He fished into his pocket and held out a small card. “Well, hey, if you ever change your mind, you can just give me a call.” 

Tessa’s heart warmed at the gesture, and she smiled back at him. “Thank you, Steve. Really, it means a lot.” 

She back towards the common room to say a quick goodbye before heading back to her apartment. She still had time to get home and get a good night’s sleep before showing back up to work. She had a _lot_ of explaining to do and a really convincing lie to make up. 

She said her goodbyes, giving Sam and Clint a quick hug and thanking the rest of the team. Bucky even gave her a small, shy smile and a nod as thanked him for showing her the lab earlier. 

And with that, she left. With Sam calling a, “don’t be a stranger” after her. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it, hummingbird.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It was about 9 o’clock when she finally paid the cab and climbed the stairs to her dimly lit apartment complex. For some odd reason, ever since she left the Avenger facility, Tess couldn’t shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching her. She shrugged it off as exhaustion and proceeded to shower and climb into bed nonetheless. After all, she was probably just being paranoid after spending so much time with earth’s mightiest heroes. Soon, the thoughts of a threat subsided, and she allowed the exhaustion of the past couple days drag her into a dreamless sleep.

 

_** A/N HEY GUYS. Thanks for all the kudos, comments and hits already. Y'all are the best for sticking around. School is insane, but I'll trill try to maintain a relatively regular posting schedule. In other news, YAY WE GET TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SOFT BUCKY. In all honesty, I don't really know what this whole writing thing is, and I'm sorry if I completely butcher the characters. I LOVE YOU GUYS.  ** _


	5. New Acquaintances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS IM SO SORRY THIS UPDATE TOOK SO LONG. I've accepted that I'm a terrible human, and I hope you all will forgive me. Please except this chapter as a peace offering… School has been absolutely insane with finals, and I saw infinity was which KILLED ME. My dead corpse had to be carried out of the theater. Seriously, I hate Marvel and that wrinkly purple grape called Thanos. I’m currently planning my funeral if any of you guys want in.  
> Also, sidenote: I'm officially done with high school which means I now have a crap ton of free time to devote to writing. This chapter took forever to actually get out, and I really suck at writing action scenes so I apologize in advance for what you're about to read.

**_ Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of their characters, but if I did Infinity War would go back to whatever pit of darkness it came from. _ **

**_ Warnings: This chapter contains some violence, but it's relatively mild. _ **

_ Tessa’s Pov _

Morning came and went as Tessa begrudgingly pulled herself out of bed and to work, the thoughts of last night’s paranoia completely slipping away. She went mechanically through her morning routine, thoughts preoccupied with her insane encounter with the Avengers. If it weren’t for the card with Steve’s number on it, she would have thought it was all a dream. Her morning consisted of a heck of a lot of coffee and the quick walk to work. On a good day, it only took her about 15 minutes to walk the couple of blocks to the small pub. Her co-workers found it odd how she could drink an excessive amount of coffee before work and still be craving it when she arrived for her shift. The pub sat on the corner and was actually quite a charming little joint, popular among locals. 

She peered up at the narrow pub door, inhaling a large gulp of air. Her lungs contracted and expanded, feet firmly in place refusing to move until she developed the willpower to face her uncertain fate. Her boss was relatively chill but was going to wonder where she had been for the past four days. Taking one last deep breath, Tessa pushed through the heavy black door, triggering the overhead ring of a bell as she stepped in. The lighting inside was dimmed as she passed over to the front counter. 

“Tessa! Where the heck have you been?” The voice sounded surprised laced with a hint of frustration.

Tessa turned to the right where the heavy New York accent of Jen, her boss, greeted. _Yeah okay… maybe winging it wasn’t the best idea._

“I’ve been a little… under the weather.” Tessa cringed at the sound of her own voice. _Great going. That was about the lamest excuse ever._

“And you didn’t think to call? Or even answer your phone?”

Tessa simply shrugged in response. 

Jen let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, Tess, you’re a great worker. But this is not the first time something like this has happened.”

Tessa felt something in her chest tighten at that. She thought back to times when she briefly or accidentally used her abilities and shrugged it off as being “sick” when she was too weak or unstable to come into work the next day. 

“I’m sorry. I—”

“Don’t worry about coming back. I had to hire on someone else while you were too preoccupied with your ‘sickness’ to answer your phone.” Jen cut her off, preoccupying herself with wiping off the counter. 

Tessa’s emotions were getting the best of her, but she refused to let her frustration induced tears fall. _These freaking abilities are messing up my entire life._

Not quite trusting her voice to wield the strength she desperately wanted to convey, Tessa simply nodded in understanding. 

Jen met her eyes and gave her a small smile, “You can pick up your last check in the back, but then you can be on your way.” 

Tessa took a deep breath to ground herself before mustering up a reply. “Thanks, Jen.”

Tessa swiftly navigated her way to the back, keeping her gaze down as she passed her previous co-workers. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was _embarrassed._ Sure the side effects of her powers were somewhat out of her control, but she couldn’t even offer people a legitimate excuse. 

Picking up her paycheck, she opened her purse and went to slide it into her wallet when she noticed it was missing. 

_Dang it, I must have left it at the fancy Avengers tower._

Shrugging, Tessa resolved to call Steve about it and began the trek back to her apartment. 

_Well, I guess the rest of today will be spent job hunting. You really know how to screw things up, don’t you, Tess?_ She let out a small humorless laugh.

“This week just keeps getting better and better.” 

Tessa was back at the front of her apartment in no time and was already fishing the card Steve had given her out of her pocket. She absentmindedly typed his number into her phone, as she started her ascend up to her floor.

Steve picked up after the second ring. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Steve. It’s Tess”

“Tess! What’s up? Have you reconsidered my offer?” Steve sounded a bit preoccupied, and Tessa could hear the thrum of passing cars in the background. 

She forced a chuckle as she approached her door. “Sorry, not quite. I hate to be a bother, but I left my wallet at the tower” Tessa finished unlocking her door and pushed inside.  
“I’d rather not have to get a new credit card and stu—”

Tess was cut off by an elbow to the stomach, knocking her phone from her hand and the breath from her lungs. Her phone clattered the ground, and she could faintly hear Steve’s voice humming on the other end of the line. 

Tess looked up to come face to face with a man dressed fully in black, an odd red logo on the sleeve. He reached forward to grab her, but Tessa’s television observed crime-fighting skills kicked in, and she instantly started throwing kicks and punches at random. Unfortunately, that didn’t last for long. The man appeared confused for a second, before it slowly dissolved into amusement and he simply clasped her flailing wrist in his hand, landing a fist to the side of her head. 

The impact was _hard,_ and Tessa’s vision momentarily swam. She couldn’t see straight, and her breath was coming in erratic spurts. Her attacker was swift and skilled as he used her momentary blindness to firmly lock his arm around her throat. 

Tessa’s eyes grew wide as she began to gasp for breath, clawing at her attacker’s arm. 

She needed to _breathe._

She couldn’t get air into her lungs as the arm tightened its grasp. Tessa began to full out panic. The sudden adrenaline spike had her grasping for anything in her reach. The edges of her vision began to swim as her hand came in contact with something thin and hard on the side table. She didn’t have time to process what it was as she bashed it across her attacker’s head, momentarily causing him to loosen his grip. Tessa used it to her advantage as she desperately pushed the man in front of her and escaped his grasp while he was still recovering. 

Tessa bolted to the bathroom, locking the door and backing away from it. She fell to the ground and crawled backward until her back came into contact with the cool porcelain of the bathtub. Tears fell freely from her eyes as she pulled her legs up to her chest and tried to intake oxygen into her lungs. She could feel warm blood trickling from a spot on her cheekbone, running down her neck and sticking in her hair.

Not a second later, there was sharp bang to the door as her attacker tried to penetrate it. Tessa began screaming for help. For _anyone._ In a last resort, she reached up and grabbed the air freshener off of the sink next to her. 

One more sharp impact and the door gave way, revealing the rather angry expression of her attacker. 

Tessa’s screaming never ceased, although raspy from the previous, rather uncomfortable grip of the man’s forearm. She aimed the air freshener into his eyes the best she could and hoped for the best. 

The man screamed in pain before gripping the bottle tightly and yanking it from her grasp, throwing in into the shower wall. 

He was still grasping at his eyes with one hand as he reached toward Tess with the other, “You little—”

He was cut short as Tessa began her same flailing technique as earlier. 

Quickly bypassing her feeble attempts, he grabbed her arm and roughly yanked her from the ground. His hand found it’s way back to her throat as he pinned her against the wall and blocked any means of escape. Tessa’s hands searched around frantically but found nothing. 

_IcantbreatheIcantbreatheIcantbreathe_

Black started to cloud her vision as Tess desperately tried to pull her attacker’s grip from her throat. 

_I’m going to die._

This was Tessa’s last thought followed an ear-piercing gunshot. 

The grip on her neck disappeared altogether, and she collapsed to the ground, hand reaching for her neck, desperately willing air into her lungs. Tess curled in on herself in an effort to protect herself from further harm.

She faintly registered the bloodcurdling scream of her attacker, followed by several grunts and what sounded like punches. 

All at once, there was someone kneeling in front of her, hand firm and warm on her shoulder.

Tessa jumped at the sudden contact and tried to scream, only to let out a strangled wheezing noise. 

_I can’t breathe_

The words of the man in front of her slowly came into focus “—reathe. You’re okay. It’s okay. Breathe.” 

She instantly relaxed at the sound of the slightly familiar voice. _It was Bucky._

_How._

Another voice sounded from Behind Bucky. “Is she alright, Buck?”

_Steve_

Bucky ignored Steve as he gripped Tessa’s shoulders again, gentler this time. He slowly pulled her up into a sitting position, but the panic was still overwhelming her, and she was struggling to pull air into her lungs. 

“Tess, listen to me. You have to breathe, okay? Can you do that?” He placed her shaking hand on his chest as he took deep, exaggerated breaths. 

Tessa nodded loosely as she tried to match her breathing with Bucky’s. Trying and failing a couple of times, but, slowly, she started to feel the relief of air entering her lungs. 

Bucky didn’t take his eyes off her the entire time, keeping a gentle palm against her hand resting on his chest. 

After a few breaths, the initial panic started to subside and the shock set in.

_They found her. Steve and Bucky found her._

“H-how?” Tessa rasped out. 

Steve, who was now kneeling next to her as well, spoke up, her attacker merely discarded into the corner unconscious. “We were only a couple blocks away when our call was disconnected. I heard your screams and still had your apartment address on file. You’re okay now.” Steve offered her a small, reassuring smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. 

As soon as she was breathing normally, Bucky relinquished his hold on Tessa’s hand, but his other arm stayed firmly under her forearm. His touch was greatly appreciated, both steadying and grounding her. 

Her gaze shifted behind Steve and Bucky, coming to rest on her attacker’s still form. Tessa’s eyes went wide with realization and terror. 

“Is he?…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence, locating a gaping, bleeding bullet wound in his leg

“Just unconscious. He’ll be pretty sore when he wakes up, but he’ll be okay.” 

Tess gave Steve a thankful nod, breathing a sigh of relief. She slumped back into the wall and let her eyes close for a minute, a few stray tears making their way down her cheeks. 

_Traitors_

“Are you alright?”

Bucky’s voice was barely above a whisper as she opened her eyes to meet large blue orbs laced with worry. 

Tessa began to nod before she gave in and shook her head, finally succumbing to a bout of sobs. She really didn't want to cry in front of the two _Avengers._

She was expecting an eye roll, or, at the very least, a sigh. However, what she was not expecting was for two large arms, one cool and one warm, to slowly and awkwardly wrap her in an embrace. 

She faintly heard Bucky whisper to Steve something about “get him out of here” and “back to the tower” before a hand was on her back running in hesitant, awkward circles. He didn’t seem to be enjoying this any more than she was.

A couple of minutes passed before Tessa’s sobs subsided into slight, sock induced shivering. 

The door creaked open again revealing an anxious Steve. 

“Do you think you can walk” Bucky whispered into Tess’s hair. 

She slowly nodded her head, and Bucky helped her stand. Her knees almost buckled, resulting in Bucky sliding a firm arm around her waist, leading her out the door. 

Every step ached, each intake of breath causing a sharp pain in her ribs. 

Slowly they made it down the stairs and out the front of the apartment. Steve was waiting near a small black car, the back door already opened. Bucky helped Tessa the small distance to the vehicle, guiding her inside. He went to pull away, but she didn’t relinquish her grip on his forearm. This simply elicited a small sigh from Bucky before he slid in next to her, still leaving as much space as possible between them. She was still shaking as she curled into the door, resting her head against the cool glass. 

The car began to move, and Steve turned to address Tess a moment later. 

“I know you’re still shaken up, but we don’t know if more people are after you and why. You’re going to stay at the tower until we can figure all this okay. Is that alright?” 

She nodded before choosing her next words “I already know why.”

Both Bucky and Steve turned their attention to the girl.

“They know.”

The two super soldiers gestured for her to expand.

“About my powers, they know. Someone must have seen me using them when I saved Clint. “He— that man wasn’t trying to kill me, he was trying to knock me out.” Her voice still came out in a hoarse whisper, strained from her previous acquaintance with her attacker’s fingertips. 

Steve nodded in understanding, turning his eyes back to the road. “Okay… okay, you can stay at the tower for as long as you need.” 

Tessa mustered up a small smile in thanks before exhaustedly slumping back against her seat.

_Things can never go back to how they were. My life is officially falling apart._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *casually finger guns* Thanks for reading!


End file.
